Emergency personnel didn't leave anything to chance after a suspicious package was reported at the Wal-Mart store on Bluebell Drive NW at 4:38 p.m. Thursday.

What initially was suspected to be a bomb turned out to be an empty home safe — roughly 2 feet wide by 1 foot high — which was left setting outside the store near a trash can.

New Philadelphia Police Sgt. Ty Norris said responding officers immediately cordoned off a large section of the store's parking lot and shut down the grocery section inside Wal-Mart. New Philadelphia firefighters responded with a fire engine and ambulance to assist.

Rather than evacuate the entire store, however, "We set up a large perimeter and kept everyone out of that area," Norris added.

Officers called the Summit County Bomb Squad, which responded with its specialized vehicle, four bomb squad members, along with protective gear and specialized bomb-handling equipment.

Norris noted that one bomb squad member, wearing a fully protective bomb suit, walked up to the package and "decided to open it where it was." The safe, which was not locked and had its keys in it, was empty.

Norris said the safe also appears to be new.

How did it get there?

Norris said Wal-Mart personnel have video that shows a female taking the safe out of her car and setting it alongside the trash can. He said that the vehicle was a white Pontiac Grand Am, but police are not able to identify the female.

Officers, who consider the case closed, remained at the scene until 6:50 p.m.